07/19/2021
04/08/2019
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feeling fortunate for la fortuna
La Fortuna is a cozy town nestled in central Costa Rica in the province of Alajuela and is home to some of the most fertile grounds and one of the top active volcanoes in the world – Arenal Volcano in Arenal National park.
I knew none of these details at the beginning of the month, and the fact that I still needed to study up on my Costa Rica map and geography was far from my mind as I was giddily trading in the Canadian cold (which I suffered only for a short two day layover in Toronto) for sunny humid San Jose – onwards to TheGoodRootsMvmt wellness retreat.
I was meeting some of my fellow retreaters at the airport and knew that the next eight days were all planned so I had no immediate need to get my act together on the research front – just yet. Until the eight days flew by and I was again about to be solo, without my good roots, and in need of a new place to stay!
winging it
This routine wasn’t new to me. Much like how the last two and half months had gone I was very much flying by the seat of my pants with no long range plan in place. So I buckled down for a few hours to scope out the days ahead, and roughly what Costa Rica post retreat might look like. According to those preliminary plans, La Fortuna hadn’t even made the cut. I did intend to break myself away from the coast line and experience some of the jungle, volcano and mountainous region of Monte Verde. But as I travelled through Tamarindo and Nosara and compared notes with travellers and locals, La Fortuna became an absolute must, and I’m so happy things turned out the way that they did!
The cost of living in Costa Rica was a far cry from what I was used to in Mexico, and in an attempt to remain economical I decided to dabble in the hostel world. Well, after a horrific first night at my first hostel – Oveja Negra in Tamarindo, I was not only finding a new place to stay but also re-thinking staying in Costa Rica altogether. In a brief moment in the dark night of my hostel, I was convinced I would run off to Nicaragua for the rest of the month. Risking the supposed chaotic border crossing and 4-5 local buses just to save some money. Thankfully, by the light of a new day I came to my senses and committed whole heartedly to Costa Rica and all of it’s glory no matter how many thousands of colones came along with it!
hostel hell reprieve
After a short trip to Nosara I was back in Tamarindo and had finally been able to secure a night in another hostel that came highly recommended – Casa Aura Premium Beach Front Hostel. After my one night stay here my faith in the hostel-dorm stay experience had been renewed! The hostel was run by two lovely local brothers who are well experienced in both the hostel and hospitality industry and who have built, opened and run hostels in various Costa Rican towns. To my very pleasant surprise this hostel exceeded all of my expectations. The space was well designed and decorated, with plenty of seating at tables, loungers and hammocks surrounded by beautiful gardens with the ocean just a gaze away. The sunset here was killer.
It also offered a clean kitchen and fridge, and a hearty breakfast that came with the stay. The rooms were quality. The bunk beds were wood with solid ladders. The bedding was soft and comfortable, and each dorm had it’s own large private bathroom with shower, and a balcony off the room overlooking the ocean. My room mates were quiet, mature, easy to be around, and we all hunkered down early with no noise issues to report! My conversations at the hostel finalized my plan for La Fortuna and the following morning I set off for the five hour journey to the jungle.
I switched shuttles at the designated stop and was then sharing the ride to my final destination with three others also heading for La Fortuna and we all became fast friends chatting the rest of the way there about our previous and upcoming adventured. I had plans to meet up with another Canadian I had met my first night in Tamarindo (the only good thing to com out of that frat-house-like hostel experience!) and was excited to reconnect, breathe in some humid air and have a bit of a reprieve from dry heat of the western coast.
All Aboard
I met up with my lovely Canadian friend who I’d previously befriended in Tamarindo and we attempted to hit the waterfall hike. When we finally made it to the gates it was late afternoon and were told we would only have 10 minutes at the falls. Disappointed, we weighed our options and thought better to start early the following morning and get the full experience. For the remainder of the evening we enjoyed the grounds of each of our hostels by snacking pool side, chatting by a fire and finally eating a late dinner before calling it a night.
in the flow
We started the 5km walk to the waterfall early but decided hitch hiking was a smart move to speed up the process. Being on a small side road we assessed the risk as low and thumbed our way down the road taking in the stunning sights around us. With the first passing car fate brought us Andreas!
We gratefully hopped into he back of his cool rugged mountain jeep and chatted as he drove us to the top of the hill. He pointed out his place on the way behind a funky painted yellow school. I was immediately drawn to the sight of rafts that filled the front of his property. “You do rafting!?” I asked him excitedly. Turns out that’s exactly what he did! Auspiciously enough, my plan for later in the day was to book a rafting tour that would double as my transportation to my final stop in Costa Rica, the small town of Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean coast.
I couldn’t believe my luck. As I look back now I see how so many things happened that way and it makes me believe more than ever that every little thing is happening the way it is to ensure the next thing unfolds the way it should. Maybe the reiki session I had in Tamarindo really did a number of my energy field, magnifying and attracting the destiny that was blossoming in my heart.
Sure enough our fateful Andreas helped me organize the entire trip. He ended up driving us back into town after our waterfall excursion and along the way pointed out the best local spots for food, shopping and groceries. I didn’t know this man, but I trusted him with my money and put my faith into his hands trusting that in fact I would be picked up when and where he said I would be for the next journey.
These situations happen all the time when you travel, and I believe each time that you become a better judge of situations and people and you move forward without dwelling or worrying about the worst case scenario. Side note: If I didn’t have the help of Andreas, I would have booked directly through the company which organizes the excursion called Exploradores Outdoors. They did a great job!
The view of the Water fall from the top was amazing. We descended down the 500 steps stopping along the way to take in some motivation from the Guru Sloth.
At the bottom we stripped down to our swim suits and shimmied our way over the slimy rocks into the cold water and smiled and shouted to each other over the crashing sound of the falls. We were jostled around by the unannounced waves and currents coming off the falls reminding us of the endless magical power of mother nature. Now this felt like the great icy Canadian waters we were used to!
spa day
After parting ways with my Canadian friend I prepared for my spa day that awaited. I had splurged and gotten an all day pass that included lunch and dinner, at the famous Tabacon Thermal Spa and Hot Spring. I negotiated my drop off and pick up with a gypsy cab.
Again with the trust system. We used one of the tour guide reps out on the street to help translate our arrangement; he could read the concern on my face and quickly reassured me he would be there to pick me up later that night. So off we went.
I would have slept out there in the springs amid the Shanghai Gardens if I could have. This place was unreal. A large open air restaurant overlooked the main pool area which provided fun for all ages and families with volleyball nets, a slide and a swim up bar.
From there the property disappeared into lush jungle with pathways twisting and turning up hills and over wooden bridge-ways connecting thermal pools and re-uniting families as kids rushed by excited to see and share the newest discovery around each bend and turn.
At times I found myself all alone in a secluded thermal pool and I would get lost in the sound of the water rushing over nearby ledges or my own shoulders as I sat directly under strong pounding falls.
Imagine the pedicure spa chairs on the highest massage setting multiplied by a 100. Feeling the consistent constant pressure and power of the water was like slipping instantly into a meditative state clearing my head of all thoughts and worries. It was all consuming. Hours passed like this as I explored the magical jungle garden.
Sometimes I made conversation with fellow thermal spa dwellers. Most of whom were from Canada or the US. Sometimes I brought my book out into the waters and perched on the ledge. It was at times like this that I was pleased I had a paper back with me in addition to my newly purchased amazon fire tablet. Between the windy sandy beaches, changing tides and the hot springs it wasn’t always as practical as I has thought it would be. So supplementing with just one used paperback book that I had picked up in a hostel ended up being worth the space it took up in my luggage.
I left the gardens only to eat my two scheduled meals both of which consisted of extensive buffets of salads, main courses, BBQ and the most inviting and never disappointing foray of desserts.
Couples and families attended meals in matching white robes and it made me wonder what the rooms were like. I didn’t wonder long as I befriended a woman in one such white robe at the coffee station who confirmed the accommodations were stunning just like the gardens that my day pass gave me access to. The pass though did not give me access to a white robe…those were reserved for guests not returning to one of the lovely gardened by day, but equally gritty and lack lustre by night hostels in downtown La Fortuna. But I was more than content, white robe not required.
mud up
I loved my days in La Fortuna but I struggled to fit into the hostel life. Maybe it was not just my age; maybe it was just me and I simply needed more peace. I kept reminding myself it was a cost saving effort and it allowed me to excursion guilt free. But with action filled days and nights with broken and little sleep I started feeling a little worn down.
Fatigued from the effects of the hot springs and frustrated with my newly shattered iPhone screen, all I wanted was to fall into a deep rejuvenating sleep to prepare me for the long day of white water rafting ahead. Part of me wished I could rewind 24 hours to when I was bathing in the light of the full moon soaking in the thermal pools of Tabacon. That ladies and gentlemen, was one of my absolute happy places.
Maybe the universe heeded my wishes because the next day after the volcano hike I found myself enjoying the free local hot springs when we visited the river across the tracks from the luxurious property of Tabacon where I found myself the day before!
I felt like I didn’t need to double dip on the hot spring front but the local springs was included in the tour and it was fun to experience it with this group!
Our guide had dug out some volcanic clay ash from the top of the mountain where we hiked and once in the pools he began giving us personal mud mask massages with a side shot of home made moonshine! Mudmasks and Moonshine – Pura Vida!
río pacuare
That night, all hot springed out, I packed and prepared for an early start knowing I would be sneaking out of my dorm in 5am dark to join the group I would spend the day rafting the Río Pacuare with, and then journeying onto the my last stop in Puerto Viejo.
I hadn’t planned on white water rafting, but it came highly recommended as a way to get to my next destination and included a full day of food and fun so without thinking much about it decided it was a good plan. After a quick moment of panic when the shuttle organizer couldn’t find my name on the list thinking my plans with Andreas were lost in the hills of La Fortuna, he found my name listed under a different pick up location; I signed with relief that my payment had made it’s way into the right hands and slunk down into the bus seat ready for a new adventure.
After a long safety speech from our fearless rafting guide David (aka Jesus, a nick name given to him thanks to his long hair and full beard), I realized for the first time that I was a little nervous about the next four hours and 30km of rafting! I had only been rafting twice before, and neither time really seemed to prepare me for what lay ahead!
Ask any of the other five fearless paddlers in my boat about the look on my face at moments throughout the day as our boat was thrust backwards or as we headed into a known rough part of the river and they will confirm that the look was mainly genuine terror.
But Jesus, god bless his heart, always guided us to safety, and kept us laughing and smiling with pura vida paddle high fives. I was terrified of falling out, and came close to it, but luckily our boat only lost a paddle (ok I lost the paddle). I thought for sure it was me going overboard not just my paddle but Jesus had seen it too and said he was ready to grab me – thankfully he was prepared with a back up paddle!
Honestly though it was such a blast; the four hours passed by quickly as we shook off cramps, switched sides to ensure both biceps and obliques got equal attention, marvelled in the beauty of the rainforest, the private remote cabins along the river, and devoured the sweetest freshest pineapple in a state of furious hunger. I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
As I look back, I am feeling very fortunate for La Fortuna and all that it brought me.
If you want beautiful nature, endless adventure, and a chill small town vibe you must visit Arenal National Park and La Fortuna.
pura vida
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11/15/2020
English